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Thu, 11 Mar 2010
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Having been established since February 2004, Anime UK News is constantly striving to deliver high quality UK anime news and reviews to your computer screens each and every day, being sure to maintain high standards of writing and reliability.

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Editor

chaos

Editor
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
Hi there, I'm 29 yo, from São Paulo, Brazil. I've been exiled from Brazil because I can't play footie. I'm a computer developer by trade.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
Tom & Jerry and Woody Woodpecker.
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
On good weeks, at least one DVD a day lately. On great weeks, a whole series in a weekend and another during weekdays. In a bad week, more than a healthy person should. I'll settle down eventually, but we don't get any anime released in DVD at all in Brazil and importing can cost almost 4 times the UK price, so I'm still in a anime frenzy. I promise I'll stop when I've seem all possible animes I can ^.^

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
The Twelve Kingdoms - I hope the writer finish the story on the novels soon and the get the rest of it animated!!!
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
Manga. Yeah, I know, I'm a sad, sad person...
I used to play bass guitar and before going to college I had to play gigs at least 2 times a week. I play the odd game here and there, but I can't call myself a gamer anymore.

I also enjoy studying new languages - human or machine ones...

Martin

Editor
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
25 years young, currently living in the sleepy Yorkshire town of Northallerton.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
I vividly recall Dangermouse as a youngster - watching it more recently I've noticed other gags and items of wit that I never spotted before. Then there were the good old cheesy shows such as Thundercats...brilliant Saturday morning entertainment!
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
I probably watch about an hour's worth of anime a day, currently reduced because of university commitments but evenly split between DVDs and unlicenced stuff. Studying takes up a lot of my time but it's always good to unwind in front of the TV at the end of the day!

I'm not a big manga reader but I have a few series I dip into occasionally such as Monster, Death Note and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle.
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
A difficult one, this! I'd probably go for FLCL - a wild, funny and eternally rewatchable show with an awesome soundtrack. Plus it's by Gainax.
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
I periodically maintain (in the loosest sense of the word!) my own reviews/general randomness website, concretebadger.net, as well as practising rock guitar and watching various other types of TV and film. I read quite a bit too - Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami and Philip K Dick are my favourite authors right now.
Forum

Rui

Forum
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
A sprightly 26 (at time of originally writing this, which I'll probably never remember to update). I currently live in the Greater London area.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
I can remember dozens of cartoons from the same period - Transformers and the ancient Spiderman series in particular. The first cartoon I remember loving was the movie Flight of Dragons. I still worship it just as much.
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
At least one episode a day on average. I don't download so perhaps that doesn't sound like so much but over the years my collection has become vast. I read manga too, though I'm trying to cut down on that aside from amazing series or things that will obviously never be animated, to avoid effectively buying things twice. My other half collects manga more frequently so I have a large library to fall back on.
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
Shoujo Kakumei Utena. TV and movie versions. If I'm going to be stuck for a while it has to be one of those shows I will never get tired of.
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
The usual - manga, games, music, roleplaying, books and sleeping.
News Reporter

Arbalest

News Reporter
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
Howdy hi hi, I'm 19 years old and come from a tiny wee place called Killin in the middle of nowhere. At present though I'm in Edinburgh.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
First Cartoon....ooo thats got to be Looney Tunes. I still get a kick out of watching it now, it still has that charm that it had way back when. I think its one of those cartoons that will probably still be watched by kids for years yet, its somewhat timeless you could say. Tom & Jerry too, ah thats another brilliant classic, which i guess is also one which is timeless too.
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
As much as i do like to spend my nights watching anime, University has taken up about 80% of my time, so when i do finally get back and have free time, its more sleep that i'd rather have. Mind you, manga has been something more i read now, with my collection slowly but surely increasing in size. I can usually fit in a manga a night, so at present i've been working my way through both Berserk and Fruits Basket, only just finishing Genshiken last week. It may not be manga, but i have taken a big interest in light novels, a lot of anime is made based on light novels now, Full Metal Panic and Haruhi spring to mind, and both Light novel series are equally, if not more interesting than their anime counterparts, so obviously i've been reading them as well.
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
Which one anime series....thats a toughy actually, I would probably go for Full Metal Panic!, its my personal favourite, and it may be cheating, but i'd try to stash all three series. My only hope is that the rest of the light novels get animated so i could stash more.
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
I've been a fairly big gamer a lot of my life, thats calmed down a lot from when i was 14-15, but its still there, so its quite likely that you could see me online on my Xbox 360 at some point on the latest titles. I've taken a big interest in Japanese as well, despite not actually doing a degree in it, i've taken it upon myself to teach it to myself when i can, so i can at least speak and write/read a little bit now. Also outwith the more "geeky" side of me, i've taken to going out for walks around town or with friends. This is really my first proper year in a city and there is a fair bit to look at, so i thought i'd start taking in the sites or just nice walks in the evening. Other than that, i've taken a lot to reading a fair bit as well, nothing beats a night in, listening to a bit of Jazz or Rhythm & Blues, whilst reading a good book sometimes.

Ryo Chan

News Reporter
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
I'm a 25 year old security and sales assistant at Argos, stuck in the middle of nowhere between Blackpool and Preston
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
Showing my age now, it was probually Denver the Last Dinosaur, or Dangermouse, i can never remember which came first
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
I tend to save my Manga for work or while traveling on the bus, but i'd say i spend on average 5-6 hours a week watching anime
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
Oh that's a tough one, there's too many good shows out there, but i'd have to go with Tenchi Muyo, it one of my first and favorite shows of all time
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
Video games, Video making and music. I'm afraid i'm the typical sterotypical otaku
Release Schedule

Dave

Release Schedule

While Dave has yet to fill out our internal questionnaire, you can always send an e-mail.
Writer

ayase

Writer
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
ayase is twenty... three. If he remembers correctly. He currently resides in Scarborough on the North East coast of England where he has recently opened an independant bookshop. Happily this means he is his own boss, but sadly it means he is tied to one place for the forseeable future, which won't be easy as he loves to travel. He dislikes describing himself so chooses to get around this by writing in the third person.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
Either Danger Mouse or Duckula. Both were brilliant Cosgrove Hall productions. Whatever happened to the UK animation industry? I do also remember seeing Laputa on TV when I was a lot younger, years before I got into anime or knew what it was. It was a great realisation when I saw it again later, thinking "I remember this!"
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
It very much depends on how much time I have, and how much in the mood I am. Anywhere from one film a month (I seem to watch Ghost in The Shell at least bi-monthly) to one series per day. My longest ever marathon was about twenty episodes of Zeta Gundam at once.

I am getting into manga, albeit slowly. I must be getting fairly into it to own more Japanese volumes I can't yet entirely understand than I do English language ones!
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
Patlabor, without a doubt. You'd think that question would be a hard one, but not when a series of the quality *and* quantity of Patlabor exists. Created by Headgear, the greatest anime & manga artists collective ever to walk the earth (Kazunori Itō, Yutaka Izubuchi, Mamoru Oshii, Akemi Takada, Masami Yuki) it has just about everything you could want from an anime - Original and well drawn characters (in more ways than one), a great cast, humour, drama, action, emotion, giant robots. All in forty-seven TV episodes, twenty-three OVA episodes, and two feature films. I'd leave WXIII behind though. On second thoughts, I'd take it for the Minipato shorts, and use the film disc as a coaster.
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
Reading both prose novels and western graphic novels (which helps when you run a bookshop). Independant travel - I've been for months at a time to Canada and the USA by myself and loved it, back in that golden age when the Pound was strong and the air fairs were cheap. :(

My ideal scenario is sitting outdoors on an evening in a warm climate (somewhere a lot closer to the equator than the UK, where you can still wear a t-shirt when it gets dark) overlooking the sea with a crate of Newcastle Brown Ale. Outdoor projection equipment wouldn't go amiss either.

Ben

Writer
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
Konnichiwa! I’m Ben and I suppose a quick summary of myself would consist of calling myself a cricketing Japanophile who loves science fiction and listening to Coldplay. (That is brief, honestly!) I come from the “Garden of England” Kent and, although not Cornwall, is still the best county. I am planning to go and work in Japan for a prolonged period but first of all I have to pass my A Levels and get my degree.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
'Stop It and Tidy Up' what a class cartoon with Stop it and Tidy Up and a host of weird and wonderful characters like Brush Your Teeth and Take a Bath etc. Terry Wogan is wasted doing the Eurovision song contest. He needs to be doing more weird children’s cartoons.
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
Well it's part of my job description to watch a lot of anime. Unfortunately I watch only what I can afford so I am limited however what I do buy and try to plough through on other sources are often gems ignored by mainstream viewers. I always try to make room for manga and often I read the source material for an anime e.g. ‘Akira’ and ‘Ghost in the Shell’.
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
Ohh! That’s a question and a half! I’d love take with me the likes of ‘Serial Experiments Lain’, ‘Ghost in the Shell’, ‘Gundam’, ‘Macross Plus’ and many more but the one that I’d have to have if I was stuck on a desert island by myself would be ‘Evangelion’ with ‘Tenchi’ “accidentally” left inside the case. I’d take Eva because it would remind me that people are suffering far more than me in the world. (Shinji is just a sap isn’t he?) However this would be balanced by the joviality of Tenchi and what he and the gang get up too! I think the question is a bit unfair though considering it is like asking whether I would like to give up ‘Doctor Who’ or Chocolate!
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
Well as I said earlier I love science fiction as a genre in general. Indeed I think it was what sparked my interest in anime and, subsequently, manga in the first place. However when I am not watching science fiction and England is playing cricket, I’m down the pub! The music I like is reasonably diverse but I suppose my favourite band would be Coldplay but I do enjoy dance music and attempting to dance.

ilmaestro

Writer

While ilmaestro has yet to fill out our internal questionnaire, you can always send an e-mail.

Lewis

Writer
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
Currently enjoying my last year as a lazy teenager, for those of you mathematically challenged i'm 19. I spend my weekdays at a university in Edinburgh studying for a degree in Building Surveying, however I stay across the Firth of Forth in humble little Fife.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
That's going back some time now, I think like most kids of the late 80's early 90's I was raised on some fantastic television that the youth of today are missing out on. Shows that were less focused on revenue and more on good television. I can vividly remember watching Tom and Jerry as a child, everyone has thier favourite Tom and Jerry episode. I also remember shows such as Mr. Ben, Banana Man, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Duck Tales, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Top Cat and who could forget Rugrats.
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
At the moment I tend to get around about an hours viewing in a day, on days off I usually kill the boredom by throwing a movie into the mix or watching a bunch of episodes. If I watched anymore I think I wouldn't get as much enjoyment and I would miss out on some of the finer points.

Due to my limited collection I only manage to squeeze in a few chapters every other day, although I find myself enjoying manga more than I thought.
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
That's a tough question as there have been a lot of quality series being produced latley, but for me it would have to be the classic Tenchi Muyo! franchise. For something that was made 15 years ago it containes many of the elements that shows today still try to achieve. Great characters, wonderful script, brilliant story all blended with a delightful soundtrack and beautiful animation. It all just oozes originality and dedication from the staff behind it.

There is something about the Tenchi series that hasn't been seen since and I don't think we'll ever see something quite like it again.
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
I enjoy a varied lifestyle to say the least. I spend a great deal of my time playing sports and keeping fit, football mainly. I also enjoy working on my car, you can't beat getting covered in oil and enjoying a cold beer afterwards. I also co-run a car club with a userbase just shy of 3000 members.

I take an interest in anything and everything. From astronomy, wildlife, business, politics, to technology and construction. You name it and i'll probably have an opinion on it.

Molly

Writer

While Molly has yet to fill out our internal questionnaire, you can always send an e-mail.

Nargis

Writer
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
Hello. I'm 27, have purple hair and anime and manga have hijacked my life. Growing up I was into Beano and the Dandy (I mean, hello! Why didn't I know about anime/manga back then?) Having led a misspent youth, I am now making up for it. Oh, I'm a Londoner too.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
I loved everything from Top Cat, those crazy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Ghost Busters. (Must refrain from singing the theme tune - you know you want to!) But Thundercats were my absolute favourite.
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
About an hour a day! Watching the Furuba kids and Miyazaki's films make me want to believe in the world that much more. That, I think, is the true power of anime. Even I was swayed by Tohru Honda and her, "Never give ups." Manga is a godsend for long tube journeys!
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
Last Exile - Anime's don't get more epic than this. Aerial warfare, steam punk, political intrigue and two young pilots caught up in the middle of it all. This is the series that got me hooked on anime, and with good reason, it's truly a modern masterpiece!
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
My other passion would be manga. You know you've turned in to a geek when you've run out of space on your book shelf just when the new volume of Fruits Basket arrives. Other favourites include Ghost Hunt, Othello, Loveless and Hana Kimi! It was whilst reading these pages did I wonder - what's Pocky? Or who's Hyde? Manga was the best introduction to Japanese culture I could have had.

Ryan

Writer
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
I'm 18, which makes me the baby of the staff. I'm from a country town near to Rotherham. I might be of Viking descent @_@
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
Scooby-Dooby-Doo, Where Are You?
We got some work to do now.
Scooby-Dooby-Doo, Where Are You?
We need some help from you now.

Come on Scooby-Doo, I see you... pretending you got a sliver
But you're not fooling me, cause I can see, the way you shake and shiver.

You know we got a mystery to solve,
So Scooby Doo be ready for your act. [Scooby Doo] Uh-uh Uh-uh
Don't hold back!
And Scooby Doo if you come through
you're going to have yourself a scooby snack!
That's a fact!

Scooby-Dooby-Doo, here Are You.
You're ready and you're willing.
If we can count on you Scooby Doo,
I know you'll catch that villian.
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
I watch quite a lot of anime, and I rewatch most of what I've seen, but I don't read too much manga. My resolution is to try and opt for the manga version instead of the anime when it is possible.

I've been watching anime since I was about ten years old though, so I've seen my fair share.
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
The Neon Genesis Evangelion series, which is my favourite and still a classic. People often deride the series for being shallow, but I think that they're hypocrites who forget that good directing, characters and emotion are more important.
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
I'm interested in most topics; aesthetics, art, criticism, the environment, foreign languages, history, linguistics, literature, the media, music, philosophy, politics, psychology, science, theology etc.

I'm also a big gamer, the Final Fantasy and Resident Evil series are my favourites, with Disgaea and Ico being rare gems. In general, I have a strong tendency toward Japanese games, and I especially love Japanese story-telling, such as in the Guilty Gear and Metal Gear Solid series.

Sarah

Writer
The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?
I'm twenty-one!! From that you can guess that I'm at that age when I'm no longer prepared to admit how old I am online! I have two sons (one of whom introduced me to DBZ and 'Naruto'). I'm from the West Country, born and brought up in Bath, but I've been living in Beckenham, Kent, for quite a while now.
Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?
Does 'Captain Pugwash' count as a cartoon? Otherwise it would have to be 'Top Cat'and 'Scooby-Doo'(which always made my younger sister hide behind the sofa). And those dreadful early 'Herge's Adventures of Tintin!' versions which almost ruined one of my favourite series for me.
So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?
I watch way too much anime (at least an episode or two a day). And I read way too much manga. Or not nearly enough, looking at it from another perspective... I'm still having fun catching up on all those series (manga and anime)that we missed out on in the UK. I love 'Kyo Kara Maoh!'at the moment (R1), Fullmetal Alchemist' and 'Eureka Seven'. I'm looking forward to 'Tsubasa' and 'Blood +'.

Current manga favourites are anything by the brilliant Fumi Yoshinaga ('Antique Bakery' will do for a start) and Oh!great's crazily inventive 'Air Gear'. Sanami Matoh's 'Trash' was a promising start to a new series, too.
Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?
This is really tough.
For intellectual puzzling over, it would be 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. For comfort viewing, it would probably have to be 'Fruits Basket'. For a series that I just love, it would have to be 'Loveless'.

The third wins.
Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?
Music - of all kinds (I trained as a musician which is why anime music is really important to me).

Sy

Writer

Editorial Spotlight

Review of Romeo X Juliet #1
‘Is this truly a love that can never be?’ The aerial city of Neo Verona is governed by the harsh Lord Montague; his carabinieri bully and persecute the.. Read more (0 comments)
Review of Fate/stay night #1
Two shadowy figures are engaged in a violent battle as an inferno rages through the centre of a city far below. A young boy wanders through rain-soaked devastation; the last.. Read more (0 comments)
Review of Bleach #6
Bleach Season 3 Part 02 Episodes 54-63 'Taking On the Afterlife, One Soul At a Time' As episode 54 begins, it looks as if all Ichigo’s efforts will have been.. Read more (2 comments)

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Mon, 15 Mar 2010
Aquarion #4 MVM Films
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i recommend this.. My fav.. anime.. (Read more)

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excellent series just gets better and better! (Read more)

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i think that black cat is decent at best (Read more)

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i disagree with the average trinity blood got it should have got at least a 5.67 at most (Read more)

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7 out of ten is a bit hing i deserves a score between 5.22 and 5.66 at most (Read more)

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